Chapter 203: Welcome to the NBA.
Draymond Green wasted no time showcasing his defensive grit, successfully disrupting Marc Gasol's initial shot—though Gasol managed a put-back over him anyway.
Green's strengths lie in his physicality and wingspan, but his height is a glaring weakness. Physically, he resembles Dennis Rodman, but even Rodman was limited to playing power forward during his time with the Bulls.
Trying to shut down a massive center like Gasol? That's a tall order, literally.
While Green didn't make much of an impact on defense, his presence on offense didn't go unnoticed.
His knack for setting moving screens without drawing fouls gave Steph Curry some prime shooting space. Curry capitalized immediately, draining his first three-pointer of the night off the dribble.
On the other end, Coach Mark Jackson adjusted the Warriors' defense to double-team the Grizzlies' big men. Green's agility compared to David Lee gave Golden State more options defensively.
In response, Han Sen ran a pick-and-roll with Rudy Gay, took the pass, and hit a pull-up jumper to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Then came the next possession.
The Warriors executed what seemed like an 'elevator doors' play, freeing Curry for an open shot. [1]
Han was caught off guard. He'd always assumed Steve Kerr introduced this play, but it seemed Jackson had a few tricks of his own.
As Curry broke free, Han scrambled to contest the shot.